Workflow Processing System and Method with Federated Database System Support

1. A method performed by a federated data management system support module for automatic workflow processing in a workflow processing computer system, comprising: receiving a data management activity description; determining a set of set references associated with the data management activity; determining a set of data sources associated with the set of set references, the set of data sources being provided within a federated data management system; determining whether the federated data management system includes infrastructure for accessing the set of set references and for accessing the set of data sources; in response to determining that the infrastructure is not included, automatically creating the infrastructure from information in a metadata repository coupled to the federated data management system; replacing in the data management activity description references to set references and references to data sources by references to the infrastructure in the federated data management system; and delivering the data management activity description for execution by the federated data management system, wherein a group of activities is included in a workflow, the group of activities including at least one data management activity, is optimized by the following steps: determining the at least one data management activity; determining at least one data level statement for each of the at least one data management activities; determining the group of activities; determining a process graph model from the group of activities, wherein the process graph model includes each of the at least one data level statements, and wherein the semantics of the process graph model is identical to the semantics of the group of activities; determining an optimized process graph model from the process graph model; determining an optimized group of activities from the optimized process graph model, whereby the semantics of the optimized group of activities is identical to the semantics of the optimized process group model; replacing, in the workflow, the group of activities by the optimized group of activities, wherein the process graph model includes a pattern, the optimized pattern is determined from the process graph model by optimizing the pattern, and wherein further the pattern refers to directing a database statement to a particular data source, and the pattern is optimized by transforming the pattern to a corresponding statement being directed to the federated data management system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the infrastructure is created by at least one of the steps of: creating a wrapper artefact for each different type of data source in the set of data sources; creating a server artefact for each different data source in the set of data sources; creating a nickname artefact for each different table to be accessed; and wherein the created infrastructure is added to the federated system.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: determining whether the federated data management system supports the operations defined in the data management activity description; and in response to determining that the operations are not supported, creating additional infrastructure to support the operations.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein creating additional infrastructure comprises: creating a user mapping artefact; and creating function mapping artefacts and type mapping artefacts.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: determining the number of data sources in the set of data sources; and in response to determining that there is a single data source, delivering the original data management activity description unmodified for execution.

6. A workflow processing computer system, coupled to a federated data management system, at least one data store, and a metadata management system, the workflow processing computer system comprising: a federated data management system support module configured to: receive a data management activity description; determine a set of set references associated with the data management activity; determine a set of data sources associated with the set of set references, the set of data sources being provided within a federated data management system; determine whether the federated data management system includes infrastructure for accessing the set of set references and for accessing the set of data sources; in response to determining that the infrastructure is not included, automatically create the infrastructure from information in a metadata repository coupled to the federated data management system; replace in the data management activity description references to set references and references to data sources by references to the infrastructure in the federated data management system; and deliver the data management activity description for execution by the federated data management system, wherein a group of activities is included in a workflow, the group of activities including at least one data management activity, is optimized by the following steps: determining the at least one data management activity; determining at least one data level statement for each of the at least one data management activities; determining the group of activities; determining a process graph model from the group of activities, wherein the process graph model includes each of the at least one data level statements, and wherein the semantics of the process graph model is identical to the semantics of the group of activities; determining an optimized process graph model from the process graph model; determining an optimized group of activities from the optimized process graph model, whereby the semantics of the optimized group of activities is identical to the semantics of the optimized process group model; replacing, in the workflow, the group of activities by the optimized group of activities, wherein the process graph model includes a pattern, the optimized pattern is determined from the process graph model by optimizing the pattern, and wherein further the pattern refers to directing a database statement to a particular data source, and the pattern is optimized by transforming the pattern to a corresponding statement being directed to the federated data management system.

7. The workflow processing computer system of claim 6 , wherein the infrastructure is created by at least one of the steps of: creating a wrapper artefact for each different type of data source in the set of data sources; creating a server artefact for each different data source in the set of data sources; creating a nickname artefact for each different table to be accessed; and wherein the created infrastructure is added to the federated system.

8. The workflow processing computer system of claim 6 , wherein the federated data management system support module further is configured to: determine whether the federated data management system supports the operations defined in the data management activity description; and in response to determining that the operations are not supported, create additional infrastructure to support the operations.

9. The workflow processing computer system of claim 8 , wherein creating additional infrastructure comprises: creating a user mapping artefact; and creating function mapping artefacts and type mapping artefacts.

10. The workflow processing computer system of claim 6 , wherein the federated data management system support module further is configured to: determine the number of data sources in the set of data sources; and in response to determining that there is a single data source, deliver the original data management activity description unmodified for execution.

11. A computer program product comprising a tangible computer useable storage medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to: receive a data management activity description; determine a set of set references associated with the data management activity; determine a set of data sources associated with the set of set references, the set of data sources being provided within a federated data management system; determine whether the federated data management system includes infrastructure for accessing the set of set references and for accessing the set of data sources; in response to determining that the infrastructure is not included, automatically create the infrastructure from information in a metadata repository coupled to the federated data management system; replace in the data management activity description references to set references and references to data sources by references to the infrastructure in the federated data management system; and deliver the data management activity description for execution by the federated data management system, wherein a group of activities is included in a workflow, the group of activities including at least one data management activity, is optimized by the following steps: determining the at least one data management activity; determining at least one data level statement for each of the at least one data management activities; determining the group of activities; determining a process graph model from the group of activities, wherein the process graph model includes each of the at least one data level statements, and wherein the semantics of the process graph model is identical to the semantics of the group of activities; determining an optimized process graph model from the process graph model; determining an optimized group of activities from the optimized process graph model, whereby the semantics of the optimized group of activities is identical to the semantics of the optimized process group model; replacing, in the workflow, the group of activities by the optimized group of activities, wherein the process graph model includes a pattern, the optimized pattern is determined from the process graph model by optimizing the pattern, and wherein further the pattern refers to directing a database statement to a particular data source, and the pattern is optimized by transforming the pattern to a corresponding statement being directed to the federated data management system.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the infrastructure is created by at least one of the steps of: creating a wrapper artefact for each different type of data source in the set of data sources; creating a server artefact for each different data source in the set of data sources; creating a nickname artefact for each different table to be accessed; and wherein the created infrastructure is added to the federated system.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer further causes the computer to: determine whether the federated data management system supports the operations defined in the data management activity description; and in response to determining that the operations are not supported, create additional infrastructure to support the operations.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein creating additional infrastructure comprises: creating a user mapping artefact; and creating function mapping artefacts and type mapping artefacts.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer further causes the computer to: determine the number of data sources in the set of data sources; and in response to determining that there is a single data source, deliver the original data management activity description unmodified for execution.